A Semi-Ode to Minnesota Winters
Are Minnesota winters the textbook definition of not knowing what you have until it’s gone?
By Shannon Brault
Oh, winter, oh, winter, you create divine masterpieces across the morning landscape. Your polar vortex makes me question why I live in Minnesota, but the crunch of your snow beneath my feet brings me right back to loving you. You bring me the joy of skiing and the pain of a 4 pm sunset. You bring me happiness in your beauty, a vitamin D deficiency during your stay, and when you leave, I miss you dearly.
Anyone living in Minnesota knows all too well that the winters bring snow, extreme cold, a fake spring, and more snow. As someone who has lived in the Midwest for their entire life, it is hard to imagine living anywhere that doesn’t bring the familiar white powder every December (or sooner).
Some Minnesotans love winter, while others can’t stand it. But, like everything else in life, there is a silver lining.
Winter can be cold, dark, and isolating. We tend to spend more time inside our homes in a state of hibernation, attempting to stay warm and healthy. This brings more time to think and sit with ourselves, as we run from a culture that tells us we need to be busy all the time.
When we give ourselves time, we are able to reflect—on ourselves, our lives, our friends, our choices, the world, how we’re feeling, and what we want to be. In a distracted society like this one, we often don’t give ourselves time to check in with ourselves about how we are doing. Winter provides us with this time and opportunity to keep learning and growing. We can work on the most important relationships in our lives—our relationships with ourselves.
It is a time to ask yourself how you’re doing, without the pressures of the always-on world. What is bringing me joy? What is bringing me pain? Am I happy? What can I do to improve where I am at? When we shed light on the memories we have made and the struggles we have been through, we can see growth in ourselves. We can see how we have changed. We can see how far we have come.
The process of reflecting can start out painful, as you allow yourself to feel things you have avoided with the busyness of life. The important thing to remember is that growth and learning are rarely comfortable, but it is the difficult times that remind us to treasure the beautiful moments.
While winter can be dark and dreary, it brings a beauty that is undeniable. Winter reminds us that there is life despite the darkness and that there will be light ahead, filling the deepest voids in our hearts. It allows us to connect with ourselves and the people we care about.
I love winter with my entire heart. I love the crunch of the snow, cleaning off my car in the morning, and having time to sit with my thoughts with no distractions. Winter brings shorter days and less sunlight, but we are forced to be still, to slow down, and contemplate areas of our lives.
Feeling things reminds us that we are human. We have flaws and struggles, failures and triumphs, things we love, and things we have lost. Winter is a reminder that spring will come, and that we can be better if we allow ourselves to listen.